PROJECT SUMMARY To address an urgent need to advance the field of community engaged research, faculty at Vanderbilt University Medical Center and Meharry Medical College will organize a series of national meetings on ?Advancing the Science of Community Engaged Research?. These meetings will bring together a diverse group of stakeholders to share community engaged research evidence and practical knowledge for implementing new and enhancing existing research programs. The goals are: 1) to expand the scientific basis for the community engaged research field by convening a diverse stakeholder group including researchers, community partners, patient advocacy organizations, and others to share innovative methods and strategies; 2) to engage community representatives and patient advocates in the development of new approaches in community engaged research by meaningfully involving them in the planning, as speakers and presenters, and as participants of the national conferences; 3) to catalyze innovative community engaged research using interactive meeting methods that promote learning, support collective problem solving, and encourage new conceptual frameworks; and 4) to enhance the reach and impact of the scientific developments emerging from the conferences by disseminating conference proceedings, toolkits, priority action items and other products to a broad and varied audience. Funding is sought to support the engagement of diverse stakeholder groups including racial and ethnic minorities, community and patient representatives, and junior investigators. Funding would also support the broader dissemination of the scientific developments from the conferences. This support is critical to advancing community engagement across the translational spectrum.